Apr. 15 2024
Source Page: Lebanon – Prisoner PackFound: Lebanon – Prisoner Pack
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department have made an assessment on the current levels of foreign aid funding for schools in Lebanon.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and likeminded donors continue to work closely with the Government of Lebanon to help address pressures facing its education sector - including as a result of Lebanon's economic crisis. In February, the Foreign Secretary announced a £2.6 million contribution to support the education of vulnerable out-of-school children in Lebanon. The UK is also providing £7.35 million to the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund, which supports UN agencies and NGOs to provide education, as well as other critical services such as food, water and shelter to vulnerable communities across Lebanon.
Mar. 18 2024
Source Page: Claim benefits if you’re fleeing violence in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories or LebanonFound: Claim benefits if you’re fleeing violence in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories or Lebanon
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with his Lebanese counterpart on the situation of Christians in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending, promoting and strengthening Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. Lebanon is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. Maintaining and strengthening close relationships with religious leaders across Lebanon is a priority for the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, and the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, supported by the British Embassy in Beirut. The UK also maintains close relations with civil society organisations in Lebanon that champion FoRB.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many UK nationals have requested consular assistance in Lebanon in the last four months.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has records of six instances where we provided consular assistance to UK nationals in Lebanon between 1 October 2023 and 31 January 2024. This number represents instances where consular assistance was provided following initial triage through our Consular Contact Centre. It does not include those who have registered their presence in Lebanon to receive updates from the FCDO. At present, we advise against all travel to Lebanon and advise British nationals currently in Lebanon to leave now via commercial means.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he had discussions with his Lebanese counterpart on the efforts of Christian schools in that country to counter Islamic extremism.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending, promoting and strengthening Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and partnering with Lebanon in the shared fight against terrorism. Since 2016, the UK has provided over £6 million in funding to the Tripoli and Beirut-based MARCH, which promotes social cohesion and combats violent extremism, supporting vulnerable youth to become positive actors in their communities. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, and the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, continue to maintain close relationships with religious leaders across Lebanon.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of the Christian Aramaean communities on the Israel–Lebanon border.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is actively monitoring the Blue Line boundary between Israel and Lebanon, and engaging closely with partners across the region. We are a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and call for places of worship to be respected. Israel and Lebanon have made clear their commitment to freedom of religion, and we encourage both Governments to do all that they can to uphold the values of equality for all enshrined in their laws. Our Embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut, and our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise issues of religious freedom with the Israeli and Lebanese Governments.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with political leaders in Lebanon on civilian and child casualties in their country since 7 October 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are in close contact with the Lebanese government. We are urging all sides to avoid further escalation in Lebanon. The situation is fragile and an escalation in violence, including on Lebanon's southern border with Israel, is not in anyone's interests. The Foreign Secretary spoke to the Lebanese Prime Minister on 28 December and discussed the situation on the Lebanese/Israeli border and the need for full implementation of UNSCR 1701.
Jan. 09 2024
Source Page: Letter dated 29/12/2023 from James Heappey MP to John Healey MP regarding numbers of UK service personnel present in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Bahrain and Cyprus each year from 2010 to 2023. 2p.Found: from James Heappey MP to John Healey MP regarding numbers of UK service personnel present in Jordan, Lebanon
Jul. 17 2023
Source Page: UK–Lebanon development partnership summaryFound: UK–Lebanon development partnership summary